Coroner Identifies Man Who Died in Boating Accident on Lake Murray

wltx5:40 PM. EDT August 13, 2017

(Photo: WLTX)

LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC – (WLTX) — The Lexington County Coroner has released the name of the person killed in a boat versus dock accident Sunday morning.

Coroner Margaret Fisher says 57-year-old Jimmy Ayers of Lexington died at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries to the upper body that he sustained from the collision. She says Ayers’ nephew was also transported to a nearby hospital with multiple non-life threatening injuries.

Officials say the incident happened at around 6:00 a.m. near Wessinger Island and Heimatsweg Road on the Chapin side of the lake.

This makes the 10th boating related death this year in our state. Jason Smith with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources stressed the importance of taking proper safety precautions while boating, saying the hazards change with the time of day.

“Depending on what time of day it is, you need to keep different things in mind,” Smith said. “In the afternoon, it can get very hot, you can get worn out, you can get exhausted from the heat. At night, you need to have your lights on, you need to be aware of other people that may not have theirs on. In the morning time, you know, it may be starting to get brighter, but it’s not quite bright yet and you still might miss a couple things, and you still have to be extra alert – especially if you’re getting tired from being out all night.”

Speaking generally, Smith also noted that water levels change, and it may not be a good idea to go out at night if you’re not familiar with certain areas in the day time.